Using the "Keep Upright" force of gyroscopes

[alan2here]

Gyroscopes demonstrate an unusual force. It is the same force as makes spinning tops work. Instead of being a force in a set direction (like a fan) or towards a point (like a planet) it is a "keep upright" force that keeps the spinning top from falling over. There is apparently more force created with a heavy and fast spinning object.

 

Therefore I propose an idea for a small device that contains a very heavy spinning disk housed in some sort of casing. When the device is on the disk will spin very quickly always being accelerated by some form of motor (until it reaches it's top speed). The device could then be attached to the outside of an object to keep it upright.

 

An example could be a square table where 2 legs on the same side are missing and this device is attached somewhere on the table, for example to the top of one of the legs on the legged side of the table.

 

This could of course be impossible, but I think it ought to be possible somehow.

[swansont]

Gyroscopes demonstrate an unusual force. It is the same force as makes spinning tops work. Instead of being a force in a set direction (like a fan) or towards a point (like a planet) it is a "keep upright" force that keeps the spinning top from falling over. There is apparently more force created with a heavy and fast spinning object.

 

You do not need a force to keep spinning things pointed in the same direction, just as you do not need a force to keep things moving.

 

An object moving in a straight line will continue to do so until acted upon by an external force, and when that happens, its momentum will change. But if it has a large momentum, a small force will not cause much deviation (whether that is in speed or direction). A spinning top is the same, but in a rotational sense: it has angular momentum, and the only thing that can cause a change in that angular momentum is a torque. But with a given torque that the earth can exert, a fast-spinning object will not deviate as much (in speed, or in this case direction, which is along the spin axis)

[alan2here]

Maybe effect is a better word that force

[MrMongoose]

Simply put, your spinning disc would have to be huge and spin very fast to keep the table upright. Legs are cheaper.

[alan2here]

Or the disk would have to be very heavy. If it was very heavy then it could be spun up to being very fast (by a motor, not by hand). I presume the reason why this is not done though it because the size would be to big, in order to be practical the whole system would have to be quite small.

[swansont]

Gyros are already used in this fashion to keep things pointed in a desired direction, e.g. in satellites.

[D H]

Gyros are already used in this fashion to keep things pointed in a desired direction, e.g. in satellites.

 

Some satellites rotate en masse -- the entire satellite is essentially gyroscope. These spin-stabilized satellites need to use some mechanism to counter the nutation and precession that results from spinning.

 

Some satellites have internal gyroscopes for attitude control in the form of reaction wheels or control moment gyros. These are akin to the "gyros in a suitcase" used to drive hotel valets insane.

[alan2here]

bump

[swansont]

bump

 

Why? Is there an unanswered question here?

[smart4now]

one way to make this work might be to use a modified electromagnetic propulsion to spin the disk. This would eliminate the need for a motor and therefore the limits any motor might have, although purely theoretical, it would be a better way to get the disk spinning and would allow the entire device to be compacted which would make it an easier to utilize tool because it would be relatively small and still be able to spin the disk at really high speeds. By also using two separate inner an  outer pieces for the disk, you can further decrease friction by using a magnetic pole in the center with a magnetic field that would end a little before the second, larger piece joins the first, smaller piece. So the smaller piece would be negatively charged, as would the central pole so that they repel, the larger piece would be positively charged with a field that reaches the outer propulsion system which would also act as the gimbal. This way, the complete lack of contact between the disk and gimbal would allow for even faster speeds and enhanced stability. Again, purely theoretical bc I haven't even gone to HS physics. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯